NICE and the SMC: Reverse their decision to reject the breast cancer treatment Afinitor.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (England/Wales) and the Scottish Medicines Consortium have both rejected the breast cancer treatment Afinitor for use by the NHS on the grounds that it is not "cost effective". Metastatic breast cancer (i.e. breast cancer which has spread to other parts of the body) has limited treatment options and is killing thousands of women every year in the UK. Brilliant research is being done into producing targeted drugs such as Afinitor for this form of the disease, but this will be in vain if patients cannot get access to them. People's lives should not be shortened because NICE and the SMC have decided that such a drug is not a good use of NHS money.

Letter to

NICEWhom it may concern

SMCWhom it may concern

Please reverse your decision to reject the breast cancer treatment Afinitor for use by the NHS on the grounds that it is not cost-effective.